Luca's Redemption
by Eternal Crusader
Summary: A Sidestory to Suikoden 2. Luca Blight is supposedly killed by Riou's Army, but a stranger saves Luca and offers him the path of atonement. GS1 Characters Cameo Appearance! There are some mild swear words, and violence. COMPLETED
1. A Second Chance

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter One_

~~~~~

**_A Second Chance_**

**__**

Location: The Woods near Dunan Castle

"Look at me, Riou!!!! I am the true face of evil!! MWAHAAHAA!!!..Ha…ha.ha… haa….h-" And then he collapsed. The one whom struck fear into the hearts of all men with his malice and cruelty. Riou's army left for their castle leaving Luca and his night raid party for dead. But….

"……Is this….how it's all….going to end?? I…. I can't die….not here… I just can't……" Luca muttered as his demise approached closer and closer.

"Resurrection Rune! Flowing Rune! Show me your power! I command upon thou!! Yell!! Mother Ocean!!" A seemingly distant voice shouted. And suddenly, a warm, gentle light surrounded Luca. The two runes' spells were working together to revive him.

_'What is this?? After all I've done… Is this how they show their fear of the true face of evil?' Luca's mortal wounds were slowly going away. He couldn't believe it. He was getting healed!_

Luca got on his feet and glanced around for the person that healed him. He saw a man nearby. He wore a Buddhist monk's robe, except the robe was dark blue and the sash part was white. _'Blue and white… Those are the colors on the __Highland__ flag…' Luca thought. The man's brown hair was cut short, almost like Luca's haircut. He had both his hands raised, one glowing a blueish color, and the other a light red._

"Hey!! You healed me?"

"Your time is not now. Yes, I am he whom has healed you."

"Run now and I might just let you live!"

"………………"

"PIG!!! Aren't you scared?! As far as I'm concerned, Riou's army ran away because they couldn't take me down!! Your story will not reach anyone's ears!"

"If I was searching for fame, I would've taken your life. Not give it back."

"Then, DIE!!!!" Luca grabbed his sword and sprung towards the mysterious man and swung. But, surprisingly, the man dodged the sword as if not lifting a finger. Luca swung again and again, but no avail. He evaded Luca's attempts so easily, it almost looked like he wasn't moving at all.

"Bastard!! Who are you?!"

"I… am here to give you a second chance. I have been sent by Fate… Destiny, if you will. As I said before, you are not supposed to die here and now. You must-"

"Shut up!! Stop yakking and tell me who you are?!" Luca interrupts.

"I am Maroux. I ask that you put down your sword…"

"OOHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Or else what??!! What could an imbecile like you do to ME?!! BAHHAAHAHAHAHA!!!! Stupid fool!!! You-"Before he could say anything else, Maroux lifted a magic scroll.

"Scroll of the Wind Crystal! I command you! Wind of Sleep!!" The scroll lit up and the Wind Rune symbol materialized in the air. The wind scroll turned into a pinkish mist that enveloped Luca, causing him to collapse; Luca had fallen asleep.

"We must travel far from here, before you cause anymore harm to the people around you… Your second chance begins now Luca. I beg of you, Fate: don't let this chance be wasted…"

~~~~~

**_What will become of Luca? Who is this Maroux? And what plan does 'Fate' have in store for Luca? Find out more as the story continues… Chapter 2 coming up!_**


	2. A New Beginning

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

**Also, a SPOILER WARNING for those who haven't played Suikoden 2 to the end!**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Two_

~~~~~

**_A New Beginning_**

**__**

Location: Unknown Mountain

The Moon shimmering in the sky brought light into the trees surrounding them. It almost gave the trees life, as the moonlight seemed to create movement among the trees. A cold breeze drifted through the air. Luca awoke with a chill. Nearby was a fire, and Luca had a blanket over him. On the other side he saw Maroux, laying down on a log that somehow had been made into a sofa-type chair. He seemed to be staring at the sky, but then he turned to Luca. "You are awake? You must be hungry."

"…………"

"No need to be shy. There's food near the fire." Maroux motioned toward the fire, where Luca saw some chicken on a stick. It was far enough not to be burned, but close enough to stay warm. Luca got up and went to get the chicken. He sat near the fire, trying to swallow all that had happened in the last—

"Hey, you. How long have I been asleep?"

"Exactly three days."

Trying to swallow all that happened to Luca in the last few days. His night raid being foiled, fighting against Riou's army almost single-handedly, losing to Riou.

"Why are you doing this?"  
"Ah, you are willing to listen now. I was 'notified' by Fate, to come and rescue you. If I had left you in that forest, you would have died. But Fate has decided to give you a second chance. A chance to atone for your sins."

"You say I can atone for my sins?! Listen here, PIG!! I've killed thousands of people; I've taken all of their lives!!! I've even killed my own father!! Not only that! All the people I killed were terrified!! I drained their bloods!! I tortured hundreds!! I burnt villages to the ground!! I am a ruthless manifestation of Evil in its purest form!! HOW COULD I EVER ATONE?!?!?!?!?!"

"I will not stand before you and tell you that your sins will be easily erased, that nobody will remember the horror that was Luca Blight, that everyone will forget it was you who had caused so much pain among humankind. I will not. Those are all lies."

"Then what ARE you saying?!"

"……Is it that you can't atone or you won't?"

"PICK ONE!!!"

Silence settled in the forest. No one spoke. All that could be heard was the wind blowing through the tall trees, the crickets that are so loud they must be nearby, but are not.

"…Right now, the second chance you have been granted seems to be in vain. Let me tell you something; I did not come here to waste my time, I did not come here to let you go and kill again! I did not come here just because Fate told me to! I came here to do only one thing! To make sure that no member of the Blight Family who holds within him, the blood of Blight will be a coward who can see no other way of living than killing!"

Luca remained quiet. Not long afterwards he turned and went back to sleep. Maroux paused for a few minutes. Then, he laid back down and continued to stare at the sky. The strange thing is; it never really occurred to Luca why it seemed Maroux cared so much about the Blight bloodline. Perhaps on some level, Luca knew…

~~~~~

**_Hmm… The plot thickens. Will Luca take the path to forgiveness? What will become of the treacherous beast, Luca Blight? Chapter 3 is next!_**


	3. Invasion of The Undead

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Three_

~~~~~

**_Invasion of the Undead_**

**__**

Location: Unknown Mountain/ Unknown City

When Luca awoke, it was morning. The Sun was shining, birds were chirping, a refreshing morning breeze blew through the trees. Luca just could not stand it. He looked around, but saw Maroux nowhere. He thought maybe he had gone. _'Man, I'm thirsty. I hear a river nearby, I think I'll go.' Though Luca was a little dizzy when he got up, he continued to the river._

If any ordinary person saw this river, they would never want to leave. The water was clear, and the river current was soft; it was a brook. Everything about this place was beautiful; the air wasn't as hot as the cities back in Highland/Jowston, you could see the ocean in the distance and the sun just above the horizon. Unfortunately, Luca is no ordinary person. He loathed this place. He drank some water from the river. **Delicious Water.**** HP/MP Restored!**

He turned around and saw Maroux. "What are you doing here? Come to die?!"

"Must you be so violent? I'm here because you weren't back at camp. I just went into town to get some breakfast. Why don't you go there? You don't seem to be enjoying this place much…"

Luca retorted, "You got that right. Fine, I think I will go into town. Which direction do I go?"

"Just follow this river down. And while you are there, could you pick up some fish? Here, I got some money. Don't spend it recklessly, now! This is all I got."

Maroux threw a bag of potch to Luca. He caught it and went down the mountain. Not long afterwards, some Kill Spiders attacked Luca. He took them out with ease; he didn't even have to use his Beast Rune. One spider spat out poison at Luca, but he evaded, drew his sword and cut it in half. The other two spiders were coming at him from his left and right. He leaped to one side and cut a spider's head off and lunged at the other giving it a mortal cut on its back. _'Damn! All this goo is ruining my armor! I'm gonna have to get a new one.' After a fair amount of walking and fighting, he looked back and noticed that the whole mountain was covered in trees. The good news was he was out. He saw the town nearby and continued towards it. Just before he could reach it, some green warthogs attacked him._

_'I don't have time for this!' "Beast Rune! Give me power!" The Beast Rune on his arm emitted the Beast symbol in the air, and a two headed beast made of blue flame came from the sky. It encircled Luca in a blue flame, giving him power. He raised his sword, and swung. His slash created blue fire that burnt the warthogs to ashes. Luca grunted and continued into town. He searched for a tavern and noticed that the only tavern was in the Inn. Once Luca entered, he went to a table and ordered up some breakfast. "Oi! Give me the best breakfast ya got! And make it quick!"_

The waiter nodded and gave the order to the chef. Luca had noticed that this town was actually more like a small city. Its buildings looked a lot like the ones in L'Renouille. Even the Inn was big, not to mention the tavern. Luca's breakfast came. It was eggs, bacon, potato porridge and some fried chicken. It was nothing like L'Renouille's royal breakfast, but it was quite good. And on top of that, Luca was quite hungry. He didn't really feel like complaining. He devoured the food quite quickly and left some money. He then searched for the Seafood store. He went inside and took some fish and tossed some potch to the Storekeeper. Before he could leave town, he heard the screams of the townspeople. He looked back and saw a horde of armored zombies. Luca sighed and decided to help. Since there wasn't much space between the buildings, Luca decided not to use the Beast Rune, since it would probably cause some damage to the town. He ran towards them. One armored zombie saw Luca and ran at him. Luca quickly drew his sword and took its head. Several more zombies came at him but they met the same fate. Zombie after zombie came at Luca, and he was starting to lose concentration. Just then, Luca heard some kind of small explosion that came from behind him. What he heard was actually a gunshot and it took down a zombie. A woman with orange hair pointed a gun at the zombie horde. She fired several times and they all hit their target; the zombies that were hit, as a result, lost their heads.

"Alright! You're all going to leave now before I change my mind and vanquish all of you!"

~~~~~

**_Who is this mysterious Gunner? Who is summoning these zombies? Chapter 4 coming up!_**


	4. Beast Rune Unleashed

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Four_

~~~~~

**_The Beast Rune Unleashed!!_**

**__**

Location: Unknown City

Though the woman threatened them, it wasn't surprising that the zombies didn't take much caution to her threats. Part of them headed for the girl, and the other portion surrounded Luca.

"Woman!! I don't need help! Run now before you get your little nails chipped!"

The woman scoffed and shot at the zombies again. A couple more were shot down, but a couple more popped out of the ground. Luca continued to vanquish the zombies. But, their numbers weren't decreasing.

"Damn! This isn't good… At this rate…" She said.

After the woman spoke, she looked like she was about to raise her right hand. But before she could, Luca heard Maroux's voice, "Resurrection Rune! I command you! Exorcise the Evil Undead! Charm Arrow!!"

The Resurrection symbol shined, and six orbs of light encircled the zombies. The orbs created pillars of a pinkish light. The zombies were shredded by the light and turned to dust. The light ceased; the zombies were gone… For now.

"Whew!" Maroux said behind Luca. "I knew something was wrong. You were taking so long!"

"Idiot!! I could've taken them without your help! Or this woman's…"

"You are welcome."

"…………" Luca said nothing. The awkward silence was setting in, and fast. Maroux, not being able to take it, broke the silence.

"Well Miss…"

"Ayuko."

"Miss Ayuko, then. Why don't we rent a room at the inn? As a thank you, it's on us… How about it?"

"… Fine. I'll be there soon. And I expect a separate room all for me! I don't want to have to be cautious of insects the whole night…"

"Who're you calling 'insects,' woman?!" Luca said. He nearly leaped at her but Maroux stopped him.

"Take it easy, Luca! You should show some respect for a lady!"

"Do YOU even know who I am?! I am Luca Blight!! Have you never heard of my evil?!" Maroux and Ayuko both shook their head.

"…Heh…heheh… You've never heard…of me… Fools… Fools… YOU ARE ALL FOOLISH PIGS!!" Luca's eyes returned to a Luca Blight long forgotten. The Luca Blight that burned down villages, that slaughtered people viciously. The Luca Blight that was thought to have been put to rest forever. He was holding his head like he was in pain, almost toppling backwards.

"You… Are all… SPINELESS WORMS!!! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LUCA BLIGHT YOU ARE ALL MISSING!!! DIE IMBECILES!!! DIE PIGS!!!!" Luca, in a word or two, lost it. He lashed out. He drew his sword slashing furiously at anything around him. Maroux tried to stop him, but Luca easily threw him back. Ayuko attempted as well, but failed just the same. "WHY?!?! WHY SHOULD PIGS LIKE YOU EVEN DESERVE TO KNOW ME?!?!?! WHY?!?! YOU CAN ALL JUST DIE!!"

Luca raised his right hand and summoned the power of the Beast Rune. "BEAST RUNE!! FEAST ON THESE WORTHLESS LIVES AND DEVOUR THEIR ACCURSED SOULS!!!" The Beast symbol lit up in the air and the clouds turned black. Rain started to pour onto the ground and lightning struck loudly in the sky. Luca started emitting an ominous blue light and a dim silhouette of a two headed wolf could be vaguely seen behind him. After this, all Luca could remember was that everything turned white, and a then a familiar voice called, "Beast Rune! Put to rest your earth-shattering power and cease this pointless wave of destruction!" And then the Beast Rune stopped summoning the Silver Beast and Luca blacked out.

"He wasn't ready to use this much energy! We need a doctor and fast!"

Ayuko replied, "…There is a doctor on the outskirts of town! Let's go!"

"Outskirts? Alright. If I just use the Blinking Rune…" The Blinking Rune on Maroux's forehead shined, the Blinking symbol lit up in the air and the three of them were teleported out of the town. "There! That's his shack!" Ayuko said.

Maroux and Ayuko carried Luca's unconscious body into the shack and put him on a nearby bed.

"What happened?" A man wearing a white coat said, sitting behind a desk.

"Are you Dr. Robert? Please help us. He just lashed out and used too much energy on his rune…."

"You mean that light in the city just now? That was this man's rune?! I'm sorry; I will have to ask you to wait in the back."

"Doctor, I may not be as trained as you, but I've had a sufficient amount of training in treating the wounded. Especially magic wounds such as this," Ayuko said.

Maroux also explained that he was a good rune-user and that he may be of some use to the doctor. Dr. Robert agreed to receive help from the two and started to treat his wounds.

~~~~~

**_Can Luca be saved? Who was that mysterious voice that stopped the Beast Rune? Find out what happens as the rest of the story unfolds… Chapter 5 soon!_**


	5. A New Mission

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Five_

~~~~~

**_A New _****_Mission_****__**

**__**

Location: The City

****

"Whew!" Dr. Robert sighed, "I think it went well."

"Yeah? Well, as long as Luca is okay." Maroux agreed.

"So, Doc. When does Luca get up?" Ayuko asked.

"Well, he should be awake by tomorrow morning. Why don't you go to the inn?"

Ayuko and Maroux both agreed and were on their way. There were no people on the road that night. The stores were closed and windows were shut, though it was no surprise: It was midnight. It took time for Maroux and Ayuko to realize how tired and sleepy they were. It was pretty tiresome treating Luca's seemingly endless magic wounds. "Hey… Ayuko, right?" She nodded. "Where d'you come from? You don't look like you're from around here." Maroux asked.

"I am…… sorry. I can't say…yet." Ayuko had a sad look on her face, so Maroux took a hint and kept quiet. Once they arrived at the inn, they walked right in. But the innkeeper had to stop them, since they hadn't booked a room yet.

"What're you talking about? We already booked a room! It was right after we-" Maroux paused and then realized; they hadn't. They were on their way to the inn when… the incident with Luca occurred. "Ah! Sorry! We'll book a room, then."

* * * * *

The next morning, or late morning early noon rather, Maroux and Ayuko awoke in a haze. They were still kinda sleepy, and they didn't really care whether- "Hey! Luca should be up now! We gotta hurry and see!" Maroux exclaims.

"Ah… Tell me again why I care? The guy nearly killed me, and I should be glad for his well-being?" Ayuko retorted sleepily.

Maroux pretty much dragged her back to the Doctor's place, forgetting all about their already-paid-for breakfast. They barged into the small cottage and saw Luca. But… he was still unconscious, in bed. They turned to Dr. Robert sitting nearby and asked why he hadn't woken up yet. Dr. Robert said, "It seems his condition was worse than I thought… If he is still in bed by noon, then perhaps it's not only physical damage that he's suffering from."

"So, what should we do?" Maroux asked.

"Well… We have to… If it's emotional trauma, I can't really do anything…"

"!!!!!! So you mean… You can't help him? He's gonna be unconscious forever?!"

"No! I did not say that… What I'm saying is… Now you have to understand, this goes against my very principle as a physician and I for one-"  
"Blah blah blah! Cut to the chase Doc!" Ayuko commanded.

"Well… We're gonna have to… try and get inside… his head…"

"………………What?" Ayuko was baffled, while Maroux was speechless.

"Wait! I've heard of that…" Maroux said, "There is supposed to be some kind of magic device that allows one person to go into another's dreams!" Maroux acknowledged.

"Yes, well… The original device was lost at sea, and the one who made it is dead…"

"It can't be…"

"I'm afraid so. But…"

"But what?" Ayuko inquired.

"The doctor supposedly had some kind of lab underground somewhere. If we can find it, which in itself is already a long shot, we may be able to find its blueprints…" Dr. Robert didn't really sound like he was serious. He thought the others would just dismiss this idea. He was wrong.

"I suppose…… I suppose it's worth a shot!" Maroux said. "Now, we are going to have to gather some information. Now, I'm in this thing, the question is: Are the two of you, Ayuko and Dr. Robert, willing to help me? Help Luca?"

**===Maroux Recruited!===**

"I will never give up on a patient!" Dr. Robert says.

**===Robert Recruited!===**

"Well…… Alright. Sounds like fun; why not?"

**===Ayuko Recruited===**

"Alright! Now, I don't think going into a dangerous underground dungeon such as the Scientist's Lab is a good idea…" Maroux said.

"And, we need someone to stay here and look after Luca. And that person also has to have some kind of medical experience…" Dr. Robert added.

After about fifteen minutes of consulting one another and planning, they came to an agreement that Dr. Robert would stay with Luca for the time being while Maroux looks for recruits and Ayuko gathers information. Maroux and Ayuko set off.

~~~~~

**_The next few chapters will be written in 1st person. Maroux will tell his tale about what happens to him while trying to find recruits, next in Chapter 6._**


	6. Maroux's Story Part I - Searching for Re...

**Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami.**

**However, if you have been reading my story, some aspects are created by me.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Six_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part I_

~~~~~

**__**

**__**

Location: The City, Fountain of Spring

****

I decided to head to the fountain in the middle of the city. The Fountain of Spring, as it was called, was a grand structure. Anyone who was living in this city, perhaps only heard of this island or even someone who was lost would be drawn to this monument because of the sound of flowing water that this monument emitted. It sounded just like a river, and its sound could calm the wildest of souls. Except perhaps, Luca's…

When I got there, I saw around ten people around the fountain. Some were passing by heading to the stores, others just taking a walk with their children, friends or spouses. Most of the people actually staying put around the Fountain of Spring were village people. But some looked like fighters, and these were the particular ones I was looking for. I randomly chose someone. The guy I ended up choosing was tall. He was really buff and he looked, to be honest, a little intimidating… Just a little.

"Ahh… Pardon me…" I stuttered.

"Whaddaya want? Spit it out! I ain't that patient, so don't push it!" The man said.

"I was just wondering, if-" Another buff man interrupted, "Oi, Eikei!! I got a job!! And I got the other stuff, too!"

"Aye!! You ain't gotta yell, Pahn! And an apprentice shouldn't yell at his master, now should he!!"

"Ahh… _Gomen__, sensei!! (Sorry, teacher!!) I did not mean to yell… Ack! Cut the crap, Eikei! You know as well as anybody I stopped being your student ages ago! I thought becoming your student was a good idea, but as it turns out…"_

"Ey, hey!! No need to put down anybody!! I happen to be an excellent teacher! EXCELLENT!! And unless my memory is fallin' apart, which it ain't, it was you who asked ME to take you in for training!! Now idn't that right?"

"Ahh… Well… Quiet. Ack, whatever. More importantly; I got a job! I-"

"Ahh… Excuse me. I just wanted to…" I was able to get in a few words, but not too many.

"We'll talk later! You comin' or not?!" Eikei said. He got up and was about ready to leave, but something told me to go with him.

"Well, alright. But after-" And again, interrupted.

"Quick! We can't do this after dawn. We gotta hurry!" Pahn said. He grabbed my wrist and nearly dragged me along.

"Where are we headed?" I asked.

Well, they said a lot in the time that we took to get horses and the actual ride to the place we were going. And first off, as it turned out, the horse rental had only two horses left to rent. And truth be told, our money combined was only enough for that many. The two men, Pahn and Eikei, were actually bounty hunters and not very popular ones. The jobs they got were always 'somewhat' difficult, but with their strength, one would think they would succeed. One would be wrong. They always managed to flunk the job somehow, and as a result, they were low on money. Yeah I lost my money and the only reason I did go with these guys was because I thought I was being told by something to go with them. And when I think about it, it didn't seem like it was worth it.

Anyway, the job that they managed to squeeze out of the Bounty Hunter Job Supplying Agency (BHJSA) was also a 'somewhat' difficult job. That particular BHJSA branch had been warned by their superiors that they shouldn't recklessly give jobs to these two infamous bounty hunters. Somehow, Pahn got one. Village people had been disappearing in a place called the Valley of The Departed. It really was a giant graveyard. It was where the village people buried their dead. Quite ironic that most of the people that disappeared there were visiting the graves of their lost loved ones. They went their to visit, but ended up staying there…forever. Our job was, of course, to investigate these disappearances and to save the survivors, if any. This job was commissioned by the mayor of the city himself, which was strange since Pahn and Eikei were almost pretty much banned from bounty hunting by the BHJSA. That was what triggered my suspicion…

When we arrived, we really felt why this place was called the Valley of The Departed. The place had 'Spookville' written all over it. The thick mist and fog covering the valley, the clouds in the sky were always dark and there was a shallow rain around the valley and also, it was night fall. The bright moon shown glowing above the horizon. To top it off, it was cold. Not the peak of mountain cold, but… you know… the 'G' word cold… Ghosts. "Sheesh! This place gives me the creeps!!" I said.

"No kiddin… Let's just get this over with," Pahn said.

And thus, the walk down the trail into the Valley of The Departed began…

~~~~~

**_Ooh… This place doesn't sound good. Though the situation sounds familiar… See what will become of these three as they venture into the unknown. Chapter 6, Maroux's Story Part II next!_**


	7. Maroux's Story Part II - Another Face Fr...

**Usual Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami. Some other aspects of the story are also borrowed from other stories and I should not be credited for them. However, if you have been reading my story, some aspects are created by me.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Seven_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part II_

~~~~~

**_Another Face From the Past…_**

**__**

Location: The Valley of the Departed

****

We had made it down the trail and were currently on flat ground, more or less. It was really bumpy down here. And there were graves all around also. The Trail, however, was more of a slope. Sure a couple of blood-sucking bats got in our way, but a couple of quick Raging Blows from my Lightning rune took care of 'em.

We slowly crept through the mist and just walked forward. We couldn't see where we were going, but we knew 'forward' was the first step there. We tripped over some graves while walking and that made Pahn shiver like a leaf during autumn.

"_Brrrrrr__… This place is p-probably c-colder than the p-p-peak of the highest mountain!!" Pahn shivered._

"Maybe if you weren't so AFRAID OF GHOSTS!!" Eikei declared.

Perhaps he was exaggerating, but who could blame him?  He is afraid of ghosts…

"Hey Pahn." I said.

"What?"

"There's a ghost behind you… She looks pissed." I don't even know why he looked, I mean I said it so casually and it was soooo obvious I was lying. Anyone would just call me a bad actoror a liar, but Pahn isn't anyone then. As soon as I finished my sentence, Pahn's face turned pale, his eyes widened and sweat nearly poured from his forehead. Slowly, his head turned around…

A little…

By little…

And…

Soon enough…

When he finally turned his head…

He saw…

**ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!**

"GWAAAHAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Both Eikei and I laughed our stomachs out. We literally were on the ground, pounding the ground, rolling on our backs and the usual stuff you do when you laugh REALLY HARD!! We even laughed so hard, we shed tears.

"…Hey!! Th-that's not f-f-f-funny!! You…… I'll get you…" Pahn murmured. Eikei and I were too busy laughing to notice what Pahn said, but not too busy to see him blush like a school girl!

"Aww… Is wittew Pahny-wanny scawed of wittew ghosties?? GWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Eikei continually teased.

"I… I… What a teacher YOU are, Eikei!" Pahn was feebly trying to get back at us, but no avail. He really couldn't do anything but blush, and so he did.

After a couple minutes of mindless, seemingly endless laughing, Eikei finally got the guilt settling in on him. "Aye… I think we should cut it out. We've been laughing to hard, I think." Eikei tried to stop giggling, but it took a while to gain a straight face for the both of us.

"Alright… Alright. Sorry Pahn. We'll shut up now." I managed to say seriously.

Pahn just turned his head and kept walking. He didn't look too happy, but I figured it'd blow over soon.

On our way 'forward,' we ran into some two-headed dogs we cleverly nicknamed, Hellhounds. Pahn got his fists ready, as did Eikei. I drew out my Chakram, 'Questor,' and threw it at a Hellhound. The thing about my chakram is that it can split into two.  As it smacked against its head, it split and hit two other Hellhounds and they went down.  I looked around and Pahn, along with Eikei, had taken care of the other Hellhounds.

Soon after, we reached some kind of shack. Actually, my forehead smacked against the side of one, but hey; details.

Pahn looked around for any signs of life. "Shall we go inside? This looks like the place to look."

We nodded and followed his lead. The door wasn't even closed and so I pushed it and it creaked open. We lightly tiptoed inside the small shack. The place was a mess. Sure there was a bed, a desk, a small room presumed to be the restroom, some drawers, but the place was a mess.

"Aye… This guy's worse than me!" Eikei announced.

"… I don't know about that, Eikei." Pahn said.

"Were you really that sloppy?" Someone said behind us.

We were all caught by surprise and looked behind us. Standing at the door was a man in a yellow cape. He wore a casual light blue shirt underneath and some dark brown pants. He had brownish-blonde hair and looked like a nice person, but also looked… cruel. Before I could ask who he was, Pahn and Eikei said almost in unison, "You're… Kirke?"

~~~~~

**_Bet you didn't see that coming, did ya?! So, what's Kirke doing here anyway? The ending said he threw away his scythe and became a farmer, right? Well, Chapter 8/ Maroux's Story Part III on its way!_**


	8. Maroux's Story Part III - Yet Another Fa...

**Usual Disclaimers apply. I didn't create all the characters I used in this story, and I deserve no recognition whatsoever over them. Suikoden belongs to Konami. Some other aspects of the story are also borrowed from other stories and I should not be credited for them. However, if you have been reading my story, you would know some aspects are created by me.**

**I apologize for the slightly late… what the heck, the EXTREMELY late update.  I've just been kinda busy lately and I didn't really have time, but enough of the excuses! On with the story!!**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Eight_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part III_

~~~~~

**_Yet Another Face From the Past…_**

**__**

Location: The Valley of the Departed

****

"Kirke?!" Pahn and Eikei blurted out.

"Hey! It's you guys! Well well, Eikei. Pahn. How long has it been since we fought together in the Scarlet Moon War, eh? Few years?" I swear, even if they hadn't told me about the time he was talking about, I still could've been sure at that time that they were friends.

"Something like that…… What're **you doing _here?" Pahn said._**

"That's right. Aren't you supposed to be a farmer somewhere?" Eikei added.

"I would've been, if it hadn't been for the stupid war back in Jowston slash Highland…"

After Kirke and I were introduced, he then told his tale.  In a nutshell or two, what happened was he decided to go to Jowston after the war.  The farm he had, as far as I could tell from the description Kirke so-proudly gave us, was every farmer's dream.  The farmhouse was not too shabby or small, and neither too big nor fancy.  It was a simple, cozy little home.  Its field was pretty big too, and it had many vegetables growing from one end to the other.  Luckily for Kirke, moles and such rodents that farmers just 'adored' weren't a problem at all, for some reason; there weren't any on his field!  This haven only lasted for several months.  Then, several Highland army officers came onto Kirke's farm.  They told him, yes they didn't kindly ask him for permission but just TOLD him, that his farm would be confiscated and the land he owned would be turned into Highland soldier campsites.  Kirke, as any proud farmer, disobeyed.  As a result, Kirke was arrested.  He was thrown in jail and one thing led to another, and he was thrown into the jail on this island.

After several weeks in jail, the Mayor announced that the time the prisoners had to serve could be lessened or even be dismissed, as long as they were willing to work.  Whether the time was just lessened or completely dismissed depended on the job the prisoner took.  Most of the prisoners, including Kirke decided to sign up for jobs.  Kirke explained that the really good to decent to lousy jobs were taken by the other prisoners, who had pushed Kirke aside and signed up before he could.  The sign-up time was almost over and anyone who had not signed up for anything was to be thrown back in jail.  Kirke saw that only two jobs remained: one was the Valley of the Departed's Caretaker, or a male stripper.  And not surprisingly, Kirke chose this job.  Not only did he have experience in this field of work, but it was… well… more 'decent' than the other choice.

"That's rough… And you've been here since.  So you've been working here for several years then?" Pahn inquired.

"Yeah… Maybe it's meant to be this way.  First I cut off heads, now I bury and care for the heads I cut off… It's really quite ironic."

Silence set on the four as they talked into the afternoon, and into the evening.  I quickly got up and said, "Hey! The Sun's setting! We should get going!  I'd rather be stuck with a pack of werewolves than have to stay here at night… Though it'd kinda be the same thing really…"

"Oi! Yer right! Let's get goin'!" Eikei said loudly.

"Ahh… You shouldn't do that.  This place is dangerous at night!" Kirke warned.

"I suppose you're right, but… You mean we stay at this little shack all night? This shack is only meant for one person. It's gonna be kinda cramped…" I said.

"One person? Oh, that's right! I never told you.  I'm living here with my wife.  I got married to her back when I had my farm.  You know her, her name is R—Oh no!! She went into town several hours go! She should be back by now…"

"Well, maybe she's on her way here. Hey you said her name was—" I got interrupted.

"Goodness!! She's probably out there right now! She's in danger we gotta—" Even Kirke got interrupted… by a feminine, but rather tough scream.

"That's her!! We have to go!!" And after he finished talking, he was out the door.

"H-hey wait!!" I said and ran after him.

"Wasn't that voice…" Pahn said.  Eikei finished his question.

"…rather familiar??"  And the two of them ran out the door after me too.

A few more Hellhounds attacked us, but since it was an emergency, I decided to finish them off with several Thunder Runner spells.  Not long after the third wave of Hellhounds, we caught up to Kirke.  We had found the source of the scream.

"Ronnie?! Ronnie Bell?! Is that you?" Pahn asked.

"Yeah, it's me! Nice to see you again, how ya been, this ain't no time for introductions!! We got a couple of beasties to beat up!!" The woman called Ronnie said.

We all saw what had attacked Ronnie, and it wasn't pretty.  What stood before us, were two three-headed dogs, standing five feet tall on all fours.  "Yikes… Not even Ronnie alone can take care of those?!" Eikei informed.

"You mean this giant woman?" I asked.

"I am not a giant woman, and stop calling me that!!"

One of the beasts, I cleverly noted as a 'Cerberus,' attacked with a green flame.  We all dodged the attack somehow and I threw my chakram, 'Questor,' at the Cerberus.  It hit on its head and it seemed that the Cerberus was quite ticked off about it.  Green flame shot from all three heads this time, and all at me.  I tried to counter with a Water Rune spell, but all it did was decrease the damage I took.  Pahn and Ronnie quickly got together and got in some kind of stance.  Then, they both yelled, "Beat 'Em Up Attack!!"

Ronnie and Pahn did some kind of combination attack which seemed like it caused a lot of pain.  And it did.  The Cerberus roared in anguish and as it was off guard, I decided to finish it off.  "Resurrection Rune!! I command you!! Charm Arrow!!!"  And as the last time I used this spell, six orbs of light encircled the Cerberus and engulfed it in a piercing light.  When the light faded, the Cerberus had fallen.  While the three of us were taking on this Cerberus, Kirke and Eikei were fighting the other.  Kirke jumped and with the help of the Killer Rune on his right hand, got a critical hit on the Cerberus.  Eikei quickly followed up with a deadly fist combo with the help of his Double-Beat Rune.  Though the Cerberus was unbalanced, it wasn't beaten yet.  Just then, Pahn quickly made a remark.  "So Kirke.  I guess it wasn't you wife after al—" Just before Pahn could finish his sentence.  Kirke and Ronnie also got in some kind of stance and yelled, "Unlikely Couple Attack!!"  And Ronnie used the Rune on her right hand, which I later found out was the Hate Rune, while Kirke just used his scythe.  First, Kirke did a jump'n slash on the Cerberus, followed by three other slashes.  Then, Ronnie gathered a fire ball in her hand and 'passed' it to Kirke.  Kirke used the blade of his scythe to 'catch' the fireball and spun around, jumped and threw the fireball at the Cerberus, during which it grew in size.  The Cerberus was defeated and all was well…except……

"Uhh…… Kirke? Did you…" Pahn stuttered.

"…just say gulp Unlikely… _C-Couple Att-tack?!?" Eikei finished._

"You guys know Ronnie, right?  Ah! Maroux. You haven't right? Here! Meet Ronnie Bell, my beloved wife!" Kirke casually said.

Pahn's jaw dropped, as did Eikei's and mine.

~~~~~

**_Ooh… Bet you didn't see that coming, eh? So, anyone forget why Maroux is doing this yet?  Just remember, this is supposed to be about Luca's Redemption, so… Chapter 9/ Maroux's Story Part IV next!_**


	9. Maroux's Story Part IV - Flashback

**Usual Disclaimers apply. You know what is and is not mine.  And it looks like I'm going to be updating by the week it seems… Mainly cause school started.  But I will update every week at least one chapter.  It is my job—no, duty for… I AM ETERNAL CRUSADER!!! (Okay, terrible joke, but points scored for intent, right?)**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Nine_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part IV_

~~~~~

**_Flashback_**

**__**

Location: The Valley of the Departed

****

Nobody that knew both Kirke and Ronnie Bell, otherwise known as the 'Giant Woman,' would ever, I repeat, EVER expect the two of them to even be dating, let alone get married, let alone be a *happy* couple and even still let alone the people that did not know either of them!  And the expressions on all of our faces supported this.

"A…..aaa…….how….could…" That was me muttering.

"…..it….even…..be possible…" Pahn muttering.

"That…..the two……of you…?" Eikei.

"What's wrong?  Why are you all looking at us like that?" Kirke so casually said.  Maybe he honestly didn't know just so obviously why this was just… wrong.  But hey; it's just a matter of perspective, right?

"Well… The two of you… Just don't… How did it happen?" Eikei managed to get out with out stuttering much.

"Well, it all started after the war… I had just collected my stuff from Toran Castle and was on my way to Jowston.  This was a couple weeks after the war ended and anyone who was still staying there probably was staying there for a while, such as the people who got a position in the Toran Government.  I was at Banner Village, when…"

* * * * * * * * * *

_Here, it's Kirke telling a story, so this is Kirke who's narrating._

* * * * * * * * * * 

"This new chef isn't doing very well…" One man said.

"That's saying it lightly! She's actually driving away customers!" Another man said.

"Shh!! Keep your voice down. The boss might hear us.  Though, at this rate, the whole inn will go out of business and we'll be jobless anyway…" Said the first man.

I was just passing through the village, and was on my way to the docks to get a boat.  But as it turned out, the next boat would set sail the day after tomorrow.  So, I headed for the inn.  At this time, it was night.  The crescent moon, though seemingly small in size, shined brightly and along with the stars and a few torches lit around the village, made walking around there visible enough.  It was really a beautiful night, very few crickets that seemed so far, yet so close.  The noise—no, the sound they emitted was actually quite soothing, and didn't bother me much that day.  But, just as I was about to open the door, it swung open, and I was tossed backward, falling flat on my ass.

Out the door came about three or four people, all spitting out some kind of food.  They all seem to be cursing at the innkeeper, who followed shortly out the door.  The customers walked away, but the innkeeper went back in.  After I got on my feet again, I tried to open the door again, but was thrown on my ass again, after the door swung open and a couple of guys came out.  They were the same guys I overheard talking about some new chef, so they were in fact employees.

"You know what?! WE QUIT!!!  We ain't gonna be stuck in no poor excuse for an inn, whose got a Giant Woman for a chef!!!" They said.

Again, the owner walked out and yelled "*@&&$^^@&@*!!!" and went back in.  I got on my feet and finally was able to open the door AND walk in without falling on anything!  I went to the counter and ordered some chicken and beer.  The innkeeper yelled the order to the kitchen and I took a seat at a nearby table.  Not long after, my beer came out first, which after a few minutes was followed by my grilled chicken.

"Ronnie? Is that you?" I asked, as I saw her bringing out the food.  I was surprised to see her here, of all places.  Yeah I know she was studying homemaking, but…

"Kirke?  What're you doin' here?" She answered.

She sat down at the table and we started talking.  She explained that she couldn't wait to start cooking for a living, and so she just quickly bought a 'Homemaking for Dummies' book from some peddler and read through it.  After she was nicely sent on leave by her employers at various inns, she ended up in Banner.  And something told me, she was about to get fired again.  I told her my story, and then we were all caught up.

After I was done telling my story, I noticed that my plate was empty.  Heh, I hadn't even realized that I was eating the whole time we were talking.

"Hey Ronnie, how about you fix me up another plate of this chicken? It's really good!  Was the book you bought a bestseller or something?"

Then, she gave me this look.  We just stared into each other's eyes.  Then as Ronnie was breaking into tears, she fell into my arms.  Crying, she said: "That…That was the nicest thing… Anyone has ever…. Said about my cooking…. I…I… Thank you… Thank you so much…"

Then she raised her head and we kissed.  And from that point on, we knew…

* * * * * * * * * *

"We knew we were meant for each other.  And only a few months later, we decided to get married." Kirke finished his story.

Again, three jaws fell to the ground, and three tongues rolled out like a red carpet.

"You mean to say… The two of YOU… Lived out… The romantic dream that… almost everyone in this world has?!?!" Eikei said.

"How… How… How… could this…" Pahn said.

Right now, Kirke, Ronnie, Eikei, Pahn and I had made our way back to Kirke's cabin.  We planned to stay there for the night, since it was already dark outside, and it was dangerous.

~~~~~

**_Yikes… That was scary… But, it's their choice right? So just let them be… Anyway, Chapter 10 / Maroux's Story Part five up next._**


	10. Maroux's Story Part V Root of Problem

**Usual Disclaimers apply. You should know what is and is not mine.  So, kudos to them for creating' Suikoden and all.  Do I even have to write this part?**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Ten_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part V_

~~~~~

**_The Root of The Problem_**

**__**

Location: The Valley of the Departed

****

The next morning was one of the best mornings there ever were.  The sun was shining it's warm, gentle light, the birds chirping lovely tunes, the wonderful smell of breakfast being cooked and all the while, waking up in a comfortable bed.  Of course, it would be a lot nicer if even a small part of this was true.  Try this on for size.

The next morning was one of the worst mornings there ever were.  The sun completely hidden by clouds, mist, clouds and above all, mist, no birds anywhere near but just the sound of rain fall and occasionally lightning, the dreadful smell of some**thing being cooked to eat, all the while waking up on the floor somewhere.  Ha.**

I admit it could be worse, maybe, but I certainly would kill to make things better.

Even if just a little…

"Morning, guys!" Ronnie so cheerfully greeted, "Breakfast is on its way!  How does some bacon and eggs sound?  And a round of milk for everyone!"

Ahh… This sounds sooo good… TOO good… to be true.  And it wasn't.  What she should've said was:

'Crappy morning, guys!  _Muck is on its way!  Whether you like it or not, I'm making fried pig and premature chickens!  And a round of white liquid forcibly squeezed out of a cow for everyone!' Yum._

I was grouchy this morning because I never really was a morning person.  On extremely rare occasions am I ever in a good mood when I wake up.  And my narration shows just how bitter I can be in the morning.

"Mph!" I grunted as I walked about six steps from where I was sleeping to the table, where I seated myself on an empty chair.  On the other seats were Kirke, Pahn, Eikei and an empty one for Ronnie.  Ronnie was cooking the foo--, well was cooking anyway.  Not long after I got to the table, Ronnie set the food on the table.  In reality, the 'food' looked okay, I guess.  I mean, despite the overcooked bits in the corner of the bacon, and the rather sloppy sunny-side-up eggs, but I've seen worse… But I've also seen better.  MUCH better.

We all were quite hungry, and we were all still a bit sleepy, so we each just took our forks, stuck it through a couple pieces of bacon and an egg, and plopped it on our plates.  And yes, that is the exact sound it made.  *PLOP!*

We cut off a piece of the egg, then poked through that piece and some bacon, and shoved it in our mouths.  Perhaps, it wasn't so bad because I had the heads up, I mean, I did hear the story about her cooking and stuff.  But it still tasted pretty awful.  Well, like the guys at that inn in that story, the three of us, that's me, Pahn and Eikei, busted the door open and ran out spitting out some kind of food.

"Did you POISON this or something???!!!!" I complained.

Kirke got on the defensive: "What're you talking about? This food is marvelous!!"

"Tch! Wha-…. Fine.  It's morning, I'm going into town to eat.  REAL food!" I said, and then stomped off into town.

A couple of monsters attacked, but I was so angry I blew them away like dirt with my Lightning Rune.

I exited the Valley and walked toward town.  Not long afterwards as I was nearing town, I heard some townspeople screaming.  I ran and saw that there was another band of zombies attacking town.  I quickly took out 'Questor' and 'killed' off several of the zombies.  Soon enough, I got sick of decapitating, so I used my Resurrection Rune and killed the rest of them with Charm Arrow.

I sighed.  The people came out of their houses and started applauding, some shook my hand.  And some even gave me potch.  Despite all the praise, fame and glory, these zombie attacks could really wear a guy down.  It just wasn't worth the trouble, but I was still hungry.  So, I brisk-walked to the inn and ordered the best meal in the house.

"..hrmph….gobble….gobble…..sulp…..#@&*$(*%.." I was pretty hungry, and I can only forgiveness for my true vulgarity that day, but as soon as I finished eating, in came Pahn.  They were panting really hard; it looked like they had run all the way here.

"Maroux! Thank…pant God you're here… pant pant…" Pahn said, "It's Kirke… He…. He's been kidnapped!! There was pant this… dead woman… and pant she took pant Kirke by surprise and-and pant"

After eating, I had retained my good side, so I quickly went for two horses and Pahn and I rode to the Valley again.

He explained that their had been some kind of vampire lady that attacked the cottage.  Kirke was outside checking the perimeter for any Gravediggers.  Apparently, living family members want the graves of their loved ones to remain undisturbed by any person, let alone a Gravedigger beast.  On his patrol, a woman came up behind him and clonked his head silly.  Kirke unconscious, the vampire lady went to the cottage and requested for something called the 'Grave Seal.'  Ronnie denied any knowledge and when the vampire lady declared an hour for the Grave Seal to end up in her hands, she went off with Ronnie pursuing.  Eikei decided to go after her, while Pahn came to me to get help.

Several monsters attacked us along the way, but they were probably sent by that vampire lady, so we decided to ignore them, since they probably were a ploy to slow us down.

We reached the shack, and from there Pahn pointed to a new direction.  We heard battle sounds nearby, particularly Ronnie yelling "Hate Rune! Feed off my anger and give me power!!"

Arriving at the battlefield, we saw the creature that had taken Kirke.  She was 10 feet tall, with snakes for hair, tentacles that burrowed into the ground like roots for legs, and several long arms on each side.  She turned her head: **_"Pesky worms! Feel my power and superiority!!"_**

~~~~~

**_See how they do when they fight this regular "Miss Beauty Pageant" in Chapter 11, Maroux's Story Part VI, coming up next._**


	11. Maroux's Story Part VI More Recruited

**Usual Disclaimers apply. You know what is and is not mine.  Do I still have to write this part?  It's getting old… Oh well.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Eleven_

_Maroux's__ Story – Part VI_

~~~~~

**_Battle_****_ Over, More Recruited_**

**__**

Location: The Valley of the Departed

****

And as soon as she said that, her arms flung to my direction, and not in a good way.  Pahn and I leaped to the side, missing the tentacles by mere inches.  I drew Questor, leaped forward and sliced the demon's abdomen.  She shrieked, but before she could counter, Ronnie countered with a Hate Rune fireball.  The fireball struck in the beast's face, and she nearly toppled back, but her tentacles proved to be a very good foundation.  The zombie lady was distracted, both hands trying to treat her face.  We all noticed and did a special 4 combo.  That's right, we spontaneously came up with:

**Unexpected Turn of Events Resulting In An ATK!!!!!**

_Heh__… Actually, it was later named:_

**Quadragon**** ATK!!!!**

There! Much better… First, we all circled the enemy.  Then, I drew Questor and readied to attack, while Ronnie gathered a big fireball in each hand and Pahn and Eikei got into a stance.  Pahn and Eikei leaped up at the creature's face, and pounded like King Kong to his chest.  After the beating receded, and they were falling, but they used one of vampire's tentacles to jump off of and get back to it's face.  Meanwhile, Ronnie readied her fireballs and fired.  I split my chakram into two pieces and threw them.  Each half caught a fireball, and then continued to hurdle at the beast's head.  Eikei and Pahn were in front of the vampire's face again, and got ready to attack.  They spun around, caught on half of my chakram each on their fists, and bashed the enemy's face.

The beast shrieked, this time really falling backward.  Her tentacles rose from the ground one by one, and soon they all were out, resulting in the beast actually landing hard on the ground.  Light pierced through the beast and after a blinding explosion of light, it dissolved.

"Phew," we all sighed.  Slowly, the thick mist and fog lifted, and the Valley of The Departed was slowly becoming visible.  The dead grass suddenly breathed into life it's lush green color, old dead trees also grew their leaves back and the Sun.  Ahh, yes.  The Sunlight gently wrapping around all the plants, illuminating absolute warmth.  The place easily mistaken for Hell was unmistakably Heaven now.

Seeing all of this is probably why Ronnie was reminded of Kirke: "Oh God! Where's Kirke?! Where's Kirke?! My love…"

"I'm right here, sweetie.  Could you help me up?" Kirke was lying down where the creature had melted away.  We all rushed to him.  He was covered in some kind of slimy goo.

"You were eaten by that thing I'm guessing?" I asked.

"Yeah… And it sure as Hell wasn't pretty…" Kirke joked.

Ronnie breathed a sigh of relief, before a few tears streamed down her cheeks.  "I… I thought I'd lost you… I was so… worried, I…" Before she could finish, Kirke hushed her and gave her a light kiss on the nose.  Ronnie looked at him, and breathed another sigh of relief, this time looking cheerful.  It was over now, and we all were relieved, cheerful, tired to name a few emotions.

"I guess that's what ate those girls eh?" Eikei said.

"Yeah… And I'm guessing that's why a simple Neclordia got so powerful… Too bad we couldn't save those poor town girls…"

Hands popped up from the ground and grabbed at our ankles.

"Eeeek!" Ronnie wailed.

Then, the head of a girl popped up.  "HEY! Help us!!" the girl said.

We all dug up the ground, and surely enough found the missing girls.  They were all alive.  They were weak after being used as a battery by the Super Neclordia, but alive nonetheless.  We took them back to town to get treated.  I advised Dr. Robert, since I knew him and he was a good doctor.

After Dr. Robert treated each one of them, we escorted the girls to their home.  The Doctor just advised that they get rest, and the Doc's hut was too small to house them all, so he decided they were better off with their loved ones anyway.  So, family members cried because their thought-to-be lost ones came home.  Husbands, wives, children all were so happy to see their loved ones come back.

By the time we were all finished with the last of the patients, it was already late afternoon and the sun was setting.  We all sat down and had a talk.

"So, what happened with you guys?" The Doc asked.

_--The screen blackens, and the elapsed time it took to tell the story passed by in no time—_

"So that's what happened… What an adventure, eh?"

"Sure was…" I replied.

"Well, it's been a long couple of days. Why don't we all go out for a banquet!" Kirke advised.

"Yeah… Yeah! Why not?! We got a bunch of potch from the old vampire hag, why don't we use it?" Ronnie added.

We all cheered and headed for the expensive restaurant down the road from the inn.  We booked a room and ordered, literally, a ton of food.  All being extremely expensive and accompanied by fine wine.

Ah, it was quite the feast.  We all were eating, dancing to the hired band's music and singing along totally off tune, but with heart.

A few hours passed by… And not to mention the finest few hours I or anyone has had in a while.  We reached the clinic, and all sat down.

"Listen Maroux; there's no way we can thank you enough for what you did," Ronnie said.

"And you helped us out too.  It was a great adventure the five of us had, eh?" Pahn added.

"Is there anything we could do to help?" Eikei offered.

"Well… Actually, I was kinda looking for recruits and stuff."

"Recruits? Whatever for?" Kirke asked.

_--And again the screen fades, and Maroux explained everything that had happened—_

"Hey, sounds like fun! You guys coming along?!  Maroux, count us in!" Ronnie said.

**===Ronnie Bell recruited!===**

**===Kirke recruited!===**

"Whaddaya say, Pahn?!  I'll go where you go." Eikei said.

"What the heck! Count us in!"

**===Pahn recruited!===**

**===Eikei recruited!===**

"So, where is this Luca?" Kirke asked.

"What're you talking about? He's right in—"

I was interrupted when Dr. Robert barged into the room.  The look on his face wasn't reassuring, in fact he looked pale: "Trouble!! I went into Luca's room! But… I knew I shouldn't have left him alone!  What was I thinking?!"

"What? What is it?! What are you talking about, Doc?!" I demanded to know.

"He isn't here, Maroux!! He's not here!!"

Right before I reacted to what he had just said, the door swung open and in came Ayuko, staggering, barely standing up.  She was covered in blood and wounds.

"AYUKO!!!"

Just before she hit the ground, I ran and caught her.  Dr. Robert also came to her side.  Ayuko barely managed to talk before she feinted: "Go…go now… Before… '**_it_****_'…comes… please…… hurry……. go… before…. It's too late….please………"_**

~~~~~

**_Ooh… And it'll be a week before I update unfortunately… Sorry to leave y'all high and dry.  Just wait for Chapter Twelve, Ayuko's Story Part I.  And it'll be in Ayuko's 1st person point of view in Ayuko's Story!  See ya next time!_**


	12. Ayuko's Story Denouement

**Usual Disclaimers.**** Konami Characters, all rights reserved. My characters and my plot belong to me. Etc.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Twelve_

_Ayuko's__ Story_

**_Denouement_**

Location: empty Fields

"…What has just happened?" Maroux asked.

"…Well… uh, seems like we're in fields." Dr. Robert answered.

"…I can see how you're a doctor, Bob." Ayuko sarcastically remarked.

Endless fields lay around them, and endless gloom was their sky. Not a ray of sunlight, but just an aura of some kind emanating from the grey clouds. The entire place was colored in a blue green hue, as if the sky and grass decided to melt their colors together. An atmosphere of unnatural Armageddon permeated from every bit of their reality, and four figures stood without a clue in the midst of infinity.

"Seriously though, weren't we just—"

"Wait a minute… who are you?" Ayuko said, as she, and the others faced Maroux.

"… Who are _you_? I have never met you people before." Maroux said.

"I'm Ayuko."

"My name is Robert, but I guess my _new_ name is Bob. I'm a doctor."

"And I'm Maroux."

The other Maroux laughed: "What trickery is this? You are not Marlow, for that is who I am."

"How's that possible? I'm Maroux!"

"… this is… truly strange," the Doc said.

"… again, Bob, bravo" Ayuko was feeling a bit edgy. "Where's Luca…? Or maybe just what's left of him…"

Dr. Robert remembered what was happening earlier: "Wait! Ayuko! You were injured? And you … were trying to tell us something, right?"

At this point, Ayuko gave up and just patted Bob on the back for his brilliance. "It was… Luca. I was at the edge of town, and I found him—"

---

She walked and found him there, limping, bleeding, walking towards her. His eyes were not his own; there was something else within Luca. Something fueled by the warm blood flowing down his right arm. The Beast Rune, no doubt, had awoken with Luca and decided to unleash its rage on that insignificant day. The day that Luca was weakened enough in his mind for it to do so, and yet Luca possessed enough rage and hatred to make any True Rune lash out in blindness. The Beast Rune was perfect for Luca, in every way imaginable. Only his rage could set it free. And on that day, it did.

Luca's eyes were not as they usually were. His deep pale iris was white as death, and the rest of his eye consumed with a blue darkness characteristic of the Beast Rune. Markings of the beast etched themselves onto his face, and his primal stare pierced Ayuko, frozen in deathly fear. Indigo flames singed into the air around Luca, leaving trails of black burns where his footsteps lay. As the flaming wounded inched closer and closer to Ayuko, his armor began to melt away into nothingness. Gold lining, steel chest plate – physical defenses created for their formidability in battle crumbled like sand at the touch of the fires.

"…d…ie…die……all … die………" It spoke with a voice not of Luca's. The greatly feared warrior was now nothing more than a vessel for the mark engraved into his right hand.

"Luca…? What are you doing up? You're supposed to be in bed." Ayuko reminded him, with utmost futility.

Then, the light exploded.

The sky – as if afraid – covered itself with clouds, which in turn shriveled into black shadows streaming across the heavens. Rain poured in the form of blood droplets, and the great stone city which the two stood just outside of was painted crimson. It seemed the End was near for this island: an end that would be comparable to the great Burning of the Grasslands, when the True Rune of Fire broke out.

But no one would ever know.

Ayuko was thrown back like a lifeless toy to the tyrannical child that was the Beast Rune's power. She inevitably blacked out.

When she came to, there would be little left for her to see. Her eyes were weak, and her head spinning as she staggered to her feet. The vision which she beheld, painted in front of her like a mural of horror, was reminiscent of what Muse looked like when the Beast devoured all the souls of that city. History indeed repeated itself. Only this time, it would be worse.

People were incinerated out of tangibility, and their spirits were sucked into the vortex of malice in the sky. Within Ayuko, something was triggered. The sight of the red city, and the azure-colored mist escaping the top of the buildings, gave birth to a resolve in her. As if to serve as a reminder to her of a past she thought she could forget. Memories filled her mind, until a tear escaped her eyes – and then she walked into the damned city.

If ever was a battle one-ended, it would be the one that ensued. Luca was now transformed as he floated in the center of the falling metropolis, and Ayuko barely recognized him. They hadn't known each other for so long, but Luca was not the most forgettable at all. Luca had struck her in an awe of trepidation: not because of what he was, but rather as an apparition of someone she knew from long ago, from a time that truly would not leave her alone. She had barely drawn her weapons before Luca noticed her there, and a meaningless moment's hesitation passed before he hurled magic at her. A blue fireball, shaped like a two-headed beast flew at her without mercy, and her body was decimated. The resolve that was born not long ago was crippled now, and yet it somehow gave her the strength to escape. She made it to the Doctor's clinic, just before everything became nothing.

---

"…which brings me back to where we are now," Ayuko finished recounting her story. Even remembering a glimpse of what had happened instilled the fear within her again.

"Well that answers exactly nothing. We are still here for apparently no reason, and there's still this person who claims to be me."

"Fool! I am Maroux! Has it ever occurred to you that I am truly who I claim to be!" Maroux exclaimed, "What possible motivation would I possess to make me lie so!"

"I could say the same thing, you imposter!"

Dr. Robert was utterly lost: "This is hardly worth getting in an argument over right now, wouldn't you two say?"

"He's right. We have to find Luca." Ayuko had a look of worry on her face. But it was hardly for him; it was for the repeating of that same tragedy. "All those people… all the townspeople are dead. We have to make sure that doesn't happen!"

"How would we even stop such a thing? Ayuko, you of all people should know!"

"… But…" She answered.

The situation was beyond normal thought, and in that sense, it was the perfect opportunity for the inexplicable to happen.

"Where on earth am I? I thought I died!" The real Maroux said. Indeed Maroux Blight had been dead for decades.

The other Maroux then spoke: "You were."

The others looked puzzled, and mildly astonished. There was a look about the other Maroux, that somehow made it known to the others he was not who he was before.

"I remember now. I am not Maroux Blight. I am… someone who wanted to give Luca another chance." The man waved his arm, and the sky opened. Descending from the hole was an unconscious Luca, blanketed with the same light as before. Dr. Robert and Ayuko called out in surprise: "LUCA!"

"Luca… is my descendant. Or rather, the descendant of Maroux Blight: that would be you." The man's gaze fell upon Maroux who, despite his disposition when he was alive those years ago, believed him. It seemed Truth had his skepticism by the throat.

The man breathed with a sigh of ultimate wisdom, as if nothing was a mystery to him anymore, and the burden of Truth was just heavy enough to make him sigh: a sigh that was sighed by many of the past's brightest minds. The truth of the matter was, however, Maroux did not know everything. He simply knew everything about what had happened since this story began to be written.

"Alright, I think I can take it from here. You don't have to narrate anymore, and I'll be talking a lot from here on in. I'll let you know when I'm finished. As for you three, Maroux, Ayuko, Dr. Robert or 'Bob' as I may have dubbed you, please allow me to explain what has happened, while Luca comes down here.

"I am from… a place that is very far from here, not only in distance but in time. I have bore witness to Luca's wrath first hand… Yes, I am originally from the lands of the city-state of Jowston. I was very well acquainted with Luca since childhood, although I may not say the opposite to the same extent, and I have seen firsthand what Luca went through. It has been… a terrible fate that befell Luca, and no one could possibly understand why he did what he did.

"But I could.

"Luca's life – his fears, his memories, his traumas, his pains, his joys as scarce as they were – is not foreign to my own. I'm not as high up and 'important' as Luca was, and unlike him, I was just a small, insignificant member of low-class society, but our experiences were common.

"Likely, this is of no consequence to any of you. Ayuko and Dr. Robert, the two of you really don't know the beast, Luca Blight. His exploits are only known by people on the other side of the seas.

"As terrible as these acts were which he committed, I could see a part of myself within him. It's probably even more awful that if I were in Luca's shoes, I would do the same things he did. And I can say that for certain, because apart from why he did what he did, I also know exactly what he did. Most people don't know that someone like me exists. In fact, I don't think anyone would believe my story if I told them; the story of my life, and, more importantly, the story of Luca's.

"Seeing Luca, broken and dying in the forest that night, I went to him. Using a forbidden power, I summoned the voice of Maroux Blight, who is Luca's ancestor – you, Maroux, I summoned you – to reach to Luca. What separates a dying man from a corpse, is their will to survive. And on that night, Luca was not only wounded to the verge of death, but also without a hesitant bone in his body to keep him from letting go of life and embracing death; a hesitant bone called hope. Luckily, I didn't just have the forbidden power to call Maroux, but I knew a lot about the Blight family ancestry. So I called you, Maroux, to save Luca.

"But I couldn't keep you in this realm – no – not without grounding you to a body, Maroux. And since the only bodies around me at that time were dead ones, I had to invoke you myself. The spell didn't quite work as well as I'd hoped, though. Strangely, Luca didn't notice the change in dialect between the times when Maroux was the more powerful mind and the times when I was. Maybe he thought I was just being an inconsistent idiot who couldn't keep to one dialect, and he could be right about that anyway.

"Still, one night, the spirit of Maroux left me, and I was left in my body – which had transformed into Maroux's – along with Maroux's memories. So while trying to regain my own existence, I had to work with Maroux's memories to get Luca to atone. Luca probably wouldn't be able to bring himself out of his fury, but I was there. Luca had to live with what he did, and I had to live with being a witness to what he did. I could help him, because only by seeing what he did can he be reached, and then saved – I had to bring him to see what he had done.

"So on went the charade, which unfortunately as you probably witnessed, eventually failed. Luca lost himself to the seduction of the Beast Rune. What you see around you – or rather what you do not see – is the remains of the city. This is because the city itself was devoured by the Beast Rune, along with the rivers and mountains of this place. In fact, the entire island was devoured, along with, of course, all of us. In effect, we are in the Bowels of the Beast.

"You see, the one true nature of all beasts is their thirst, their hunger – their senseless urge to devour things in order to satisfy their insatiable appetite. The Beast Rune would of course be the ultimate example of this instinct. So, in a matter of speaking, not only has the entire island been swallowed up by the Beast Rune, but all memory and evidence of its existence have been devoured too, as well as this of its inhabitants. The island which we were residing, as far as the real world is concerned, never even existed.

"This… is the total unrestrained power of the Beast Rune.

"The only reason that you three are still corporeal is because you have not really existed in the first place. The Beast's Insides are merely at a loss at what to do with you. I will explain this later. As for what you see around you is an illusion that is just a bit more than nothingness itself. Nothing makes more sense than an endlessly devouring creature with an insatiable appetite because it is filled with sheer nothingness, wouldn't you say? You can come back to narrate now," ended the man.

An indescribable expression stretched across Maroux, Ayuko and Dr. Robert's faces. It was the sort of expression you would expect when being given an incomprehensible truth so beyond believability that it somehow reeked of legitimacy. The wind always blew in those fields, and still managed to make a whistling sound as the near-nothingness swirled around inside itself. The four figures stood there, as a fifth continued to descend upon them. He finally arrived.

Luca stood before them, with his head looking up. He slowly moved to look at those around him as they stared at him, and opened his eyes. On his face was a look devoid of anything, as if to mirror the nothingness inside the Beast Rune.

"Now, to hurry and end this story – as every story must have an end – I will resume speaking. Firstly, Maroux Blight: you're place is not in this world. You have passed, and I shall soon send you back to the netherworld. Ayuko and Dr. Robert: your memories are artificial. Your stories, along with all people on the island you inhabited are figments of my imagination, and I wrote your stories as a backdrop for the place where Luca would atone. However, it seems my design was flawed. This is my first try after all, so I have to be patient. But do not worry: I shall return you to non-existences shortly also. I'm very busy, as I have to continue to work on saving Luca." A flicker of intense obsession was seen in the man's eyes. Twisted is this man who stood before them. "Now if you would just—"

Before the man finished, Dr. Robert clubbed him with his hands and knocked him down. "This is senseless. Even if what you say is true, do you seriously expect us to just bend over and let you obliterate us! We're going to _live_, you sick bastard!"

The doctor grabbed Ayuko's hand and ran. He could see the endlessness around him – they both could, but they weren't going to give up. Maroux stood silently over the man, watching him as he got to his feet.

"Well, that was certainly odd wasn't it. Maroux, surely you will act more rationally," said the man.

"Oh why yes of course. I want to go back and sleep my eternal slumber, but first I have something I must ask of you…"

The two scheming men stood, shadowed in the darkness of the Bowels of the Beast. Luca was dazed, his eyes open and yet his mind was sleeping.

_To be concluded…_

**_I've decided to end this story, instead of leave it incomplete. So I had to change my layout for this chapter._**

**_As for the next chapter, it will be the last._**


	13. Finale The End of the End

**Usual disclaimers. Konami's work and ideas belong to Konami, who presumably have all rights reserved. The story is written by me.**

_Luca's Redemption – Chapter Thirteen_

_Finale_

**_The End of the End_**

Location: Bowels of the Beast

Robert and Ayuko ran through the fields of emptiness, searching for an escape which did not exist.

Luca began to awaken, while Maroux and the other man were speaking.

"…Ah, so is that what you want, sir Maroux Blight?"

"Yes. It is my deepest wish, and I must ask of you to do this for me before you put me to sleep again."

"…I'm not sure where you think you can ask me for something, because you seem to be wise enough to know that I am capable of doing what you ask, and yet ignorant enough to think that you are in any sort of bargaining position."

"I am well aware of where I stand before you, great one. But you must know that a revived spirit such as I would be rather tiresome to get rid of without my consent. And by the looks of it, you have to take care of those two runaways right about now."

The man stood back and thought.

"Let me remind you, great one, that I can inform those two of your secret," Maroux laughed, "I suppose, thus, that you have underestimated—"

At that precise moment, Luca had already awoken. But it seemed that the Beast Rune still had control over him, and so an explosion of the Beast's power threw the two men back. Ayuko and Robert, at a distance, both saw and felt this power, and after some contemplation, hesitantly decided to return.

"By the gods, Luca! Calm yourself! You are becoming tiresome and nearly more trouble than you are worth!"

The man stood on his feet, and prepared to use his forbidden magic. Maroux also stood and said: "Be aware, Luca! You are a member of the Blight clan! And you will carry on the family's legacy!"

A liquid-like blackness formed in the man's hands, and they surged at Luca, covering him in a second skin. But this would not be enough to hold the Beast-possessed Luca. The fiery light of the Beast Rune seethed through the magic barrier, and shattered it.

"You……. Die….. d….ie…..die! DIE!"

Four wings of light materialized on Luca's back, and took him to air. He flew at the man, but was stopped by him. His arm rose, and he opened his hand, pointing his palm at Luca, "Stop."

"UGH! W-What……is………this……power……" Even as cerulean flames permeated the air around Luca, as if bleeding profusely from an inferno deep inside of him, his power was inferior to the man's.

"No control, Luca! You need guidance to control your power!"

The man enveloped Luca in the black substance again: "You're lacking in control Luca… I can help you. Please, just let me in! We're the same, you and me… let me help you!" The man tightened his grip on Luca with the forbidden magic, trying to blot out Luca's consciousness in order to reform him.

"Luca… I've realized now that you can't be saved as long as long as your soul is what it is. I must change who you are – I must become you!" The obsession flickered in his eyes, but it began to consume the man, just as the Beast was consuming Luca.

"LUCA!" Ayuko screamed as she tackled Maroux, sending him hurling into the other man. The other man lost his grip on Luca, and he was released from the liquid-prison. Robert came to his side, but was thrown back by the Beast Rune's power.

"YOU….DIE!" Luca spoke, and sent a massive blue fireball towards the other man, but he deflected it. Maroux received the attack, and was burned to oblivion.

"Idiot! You killed your own ancestor's ghost! Not that I care… I shall deal with _you_!"

The other man sent a ray of dark liquid-like magic towards Luca, who retaliated with a blast of Beast-flame. The two magics collided in violent commotion, as the winds of the place grew evermore vicious, swirling within itself. The sky began to churn, and tornadoes formed while lightning cackled angrily. The earth began to rumble and break, as the two powers battled amongst each other.

"LUCA! I AM HELPING YOU SAVE YOURSELF! WHY DO YOU RESIST ME!"

With the last surge of strength, Luca sent all of his power firing towards the other man. Robert saw the opportunity and tackled the other man down to the ground, breaking his spell-line: "NO! YOU FOOL! THE FORBIDDEN MAGIC WILL—"

"DOCTOR, NO!" Ayuko shrieked as she ran in front of the path of the Beast Rune's path of destruction, "Get away! Hurry!" She raised her right hand.

A blinding, deafening light exploded, and filled the infinite emptiness.

---

Luca found himself washed on a shore, with an unclear recollection of what happened in the Bowels of the Beast. He did know that it was not a dream, as the mark on his right hand was still there: The Beast Rune, eating away at him. Exhausted from all the power he expended, he staggered to his feet, and walked inland. The place revealed itself to be a small island, even smaller than the one before. Around him was no sign of life, but he soon came across the other side of the island, where at that shore, he could see two figures: a man and a woman.

He ran towards them: "… you… you're alive? Dr. Robert and Ayuko? What happened?"

"Goodness, you startled me! I'm afraid you have the wrong people, son. My name is Barbarossa," said the man, "and this is my wife Windy."

"Pleased to meet you." The other woman said.

"! … how… but you – you look just like that doctor… and you… Ayuko… how could…?" Luca was confused, tired and again dazed. It seems the Beast Rune would not let Luca know peace.

"This is certainly quite interesting. Tell me: would you happen to have a True Rune on your hand there?" The man named Barbarossa said.

"… Beast Rune…"

"AH! You see, dear? I was right… I guess the stars really are moving now. The final battle will be soon…"

"Yes, yes you were, love. I suppose we should hurry and set sail then."

"…what… is going… on?"

"Well my boy, the True Runes are gathering soon. We shall all meet and wage the war of Dharma and Chaos. The time of Judgment is near… but do not be alarmed! It is not in the nearest future… it will take some time. But it is coming: and you're arrival here proves this theory I have. These True Runes make us immortal after all, so we have all the time in the world to prepare for it. Come now, we're setting sail for the mainland. We have things to do!"

Luca could barely come to terms with what had happened, and now this wave of revelation proved all the more overwhelming. Somehow, he nodded and went along with the other two True Rune Bearers, and they set sail.

---

On a cliff nearby, the other man stood, watching them on the shore. The secret which Maroux had figured out was that this man was not a man at all. Buried deeply in cloaks, the only thing for certain was that this 'man' was a human. And so, this human cast aside the cloaks, and revealed the woman beneath them. She wore a beautiful blue dress, tantamount to those of grand seers and queens. Stunning jewelry hung on her neck, wrists and hands; even her feet were covered in jewels. Woven from the most rare and expensive of fabrics, her silky dress wavered in the sea breeze, as did her long, black hair.

"Don't worry Maroux. You may rest peacefully back in the nether realm. I will grant you your wish, so do not be worried. As for the fate of Luca, and those two… The Destiny ordained by the stars is inevitable; the Will of the Heavens is undeniable. Nothing can stop this now."

The woman vanished.

---

Many nights passed at sea, and Luca told his story to the curious couple. How they truly loved each other; the two were perfect for each other and they had grown into each other's soul mate, Luca thought. But he was disinterested by such matters. It was only a momentary inkling; a wish that fluttered in the remains of his human heart for his parents when he was young, before the time of the tragedy that broke him.

Weeks slid by as time became increasingly unnoticed as the three Bearers enjoyed the sea life. Luca tending to his mental wounds, keeping to himself and thinking about all that had happened. Luca did finish his story one night, and Windy asked: "Forgive my question, Luca, but I must ask you: do you not feel remorse for what you have done?"

"I……" He could hardly answer, but there was a look on his face which gave Windy the answer she sought.

She asked another question: "Then, why didn't you let that man help you?" Both Windy and Barbarossa knew the 'right' answer to this, as wise as the two were. They were after all quite aged and experienced in life. Age and wisdom do not always cross paths, but this couple was the perfect proof that sometimes, age and wisdom do.

"… Sometimes… a person isn't worth saving… and other times, they can't be saved… but nobody can make someone reach salvation."

A look of assurance lit behind Luca's eyes. Barbarossa and Windy saw this, and were already relieved that Luca had come to that realization.

"Nobody can save me… because I have to save myself – I have to find my own redemption."

Atonement was far, far away in the Island Nations, waiting for him. But even then, Luca was already a changed man. He knew that the Beast inside him was in fact his own inner demon, and that the Beast Rune can be tamed just as his inner demon can. His journey will be difficult and undoubtedly trying, but it is a quest that is not only possible, but _will_ be surpassed with 26 other individuals.

Redemption is beyond no one who seeks it.

And for the first time since his childhood, Luca looked into the sea and sky with a sense of contentment that allowed him to smile the faintest of smiles.

"I will find my redemption."

**_ The End _**


End file.
